- DESTINATION 2050 reaffirms net-zero commitment by 2050
- Coalition calls for EU ETS reforms to support decarbonisation
- Priorities include SAF allowances and revenue reinvestment
- Coalition opposes expanding EU ETS geographical scope
- Calls for book-and-claim mechanism and innovation fund expansion
DESTINATION 2050, representing Europe’s airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and aircraft manufacturers, has reaffirmed its commitment to net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050 following the European Commission’s proposal to review the EU ETS for aviation. The coalition has asked that the mechanism becomes a key tool for decarbonisation of the sector in Europe. The Draghi report has highlighted aviation as vital to Europe’s economic sovereignty, and the coalition has welcomed efforts to strengthen competitiveness alongside climate action.
The coalition has called on EU legislators to ensure investment certainty, foster innovation, ensure new measures rest on validated science and demonstrated operational feasibility, and prevent carbon leakage. Key priorities have included reform and increase of SAF allowances, full reinvestment of aviation ETS revenues, maintenance of current geographical scope and strengthening of global solutions through CORSIA. The coalition has opposed expanding the geographical scope of the EU ETS and has urged prioritisation of global mechanisms.
The coalition is calling for establishment of a book-and-claim mechanism to address uneven availability of SAF across Europe, broadening the scope of the Innovation Fund and Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, incentivising carbon capture and utilisation for aviation, and conditioning incentives on validated science and operational feasibility. It says the understanding of aviation non-CO₂ effects is evolving and contrail avoidance strategies should be regulated and incentivised when there is mature scientific understanding and demonstrated operational feasibility across the whole aviation system.
